Right in front of me
by chocolate-thief
Summary: "All this time this was happening right in front of me and I never knew. You are good at keeping secrets, I'll give you that." Henry is not himself and Jo comes to the conclusion that something is going on that she knows nothing about. It's a race against time for her to find out what it is before everything comes crashing down around her.
1. Chapter 1

**So I just came on to publish a new chapter and I noticed that somehow/for whatever reason, my story has been deleted?! Sorry to those who were following it... I have posted it again (obviously).**

* * *

 **TRIGGER WARNING! Just putting it out there that this chapter and possibly some of the others will contain mentions of self harm and suicide, so if you have a problem with that I recommend that you don't read this story.**

 **So I've noticed recently that the amount of new Forever stories being posted have dropped... I also know that I haven't posted anything in a reaaalllyyyy long time, so I started writing a new story! Hope ya like it :)**

The young woman lay on the table in the morgue with Henry leaning over her when Jo stepped out of the elevator. Her hands were at her sides palm up, displaying the ugly red cuts and slightly faded scars that decorated them like distasteful bracelets.

"Hey, Henry." Jo called as she crossed the room towards him, Henry looking up to nod a greeting to her. "What have you found?"

"My conclusion is that the cause of death was strangulation." Henry handed the report across the body to Jo who stood on the other side of the table, as he pointed at the bruises on the victim's neck.

"So it was suicide?" Jo asked thinking back to the crime scene, the woman hanging from the top of her cupboard by a scarf, swaying slightly. Her eyes drifted down to the woman's wrists. "I mean…" she trailed off, gesturing at the cuts.

Henry shook his head. "Murder." He said simply, offering no explanation. Jo waited for him to continue, and when he didn't she looked taken aback; slightly confused.

"That's it? You're not going to give me a detailed explanation on why it's murder like you usually do?" She waved the report at the body in front of her.

Henry looked up, a small smile on his face. "If you look carefully at the patterns of the bruises, you'll see that they are straight across. If our victim had hung herself the bruises would be in a more diagonal pattern." He traced a line on the victim's neck with a gloved finger before continuing. "Also if she had hanged herself I would expect there to be marks on her neck from her trying to get her fingers under the scarf; most suicide victims regret their decision or are overwhelmed with panic. Based on the lack of those I would guess the murderer drugged her or held her down in some way so that she couldn't struggle."

"How do you know that?" Jo asked, puzzled. "About the…" she trailed off, gesturing at her neck.

"Trust me, detective, I just know." Henry's voice was loud in the quiet room, startling Jo slightly. Henry never talked like that. Henry saw her reaction and was silent for a moment, a faint blush creeping up his neck that Jo almost missed as he turned away from her. "It's common knowledge amongst Medical Examiners." He finally spoke, turning back around. Jo saw that he had managed to get whatever emotions he was experiencing under control, with his demeanour cool, calm and collected like normal, and no trace of the blush she had spied earlier.

"I'll go tell Hanson." Jo narrowed her eyes slightly at Henry, but he was looking down at his copy of the report, sending her a clear message that he didn't want to talk. She headed towards the exit, pushing the button for the elevator and sighing in annoyance as she heard it slowly whir towards her.

As she waited her thoughts turned to Henry. He had seemed a little down, in no hurry to share his theories and his smile had seemed strained, not quite reaching his eyes. Not to mention his strange reaction when she asked about his knowledge of suicide victims clawing at their necks in panic.

She turned to look back at Henry as she waited for the elevator. Henry was seated at the desk Lucas normally sat at, his back hunched over slightly. He looked very small in the large, crisp white room. Very small and very alone, with the rest of the morgues staff out for their lunch breaks.

Henry's shoulders rose and fell as he took a deep breath, before Jo saw him lay down his head on his arms. _Weird._ She thought to herself as the elevator chimed behind her as it arrived, the doors sliding open.

* * *

When Jo got back to her desk she sank into the chair, dropping the report Henry had given her before her and frowning at it. Something was of with Henry, that much was obvious, but before she could dwell on it too much Hanson stood beside her holding two mugs of hot, steaming coffee.

"What did Henry say?" He asked, handing one mug to Jo who took it gratefully.

"Murder" Jo replied grumpily as she took a gulp of the coffee, wincing as it burned the roof of her mouth. She briefly thought about telling Hanson about what Henry had said how he had acted, but as soon as the thought entered her head it was gone again, a fleeting shadow in the back of her mind.

"Great." Hanson was musing beside Jo. "I was hoping to be able to go home early today, spend some time with the wife and kids. Nothing like a good old murder to change my plans."

Jo rolled her eyes. "Come on." She said. "Let's go get Henry and go talk to the victim's family and co-workers." As she said this she was almost hoping that Henry would decline their invitation to accompany them on their trip. Since she had begun working with her and Hanson, Henry had been the one who she knew she could always count on. Whenever Sean was on her mind or a particular case had got her down Henry was the one she went to, or who came to her even when she didn't know she needed him to be there for her. His behaviour in the morgue had scared her a little; he wasn't the normal Henry she knew.

To her slight disappointment Henry took her and Hanson up on their offer, and within half an hour the two detectives and Henry were seated in Jo's car, driving down the road away from the Precinct.

* * *

When they arrived back a few hours later Henry quickly excised himself back to the morgue, saying he had some paper work to complete. Jo and Hanson watched his back as he strode away from them before jabbing at the elevator button with a ferocity that Jo had not seen Henry exhibit before. Looking closer Jo could also see a tightness in his shoulders.

Hanson seemed to be able to read her thoughts, voicing exactly what she was thinking. "Something's up with Henry. Don't you think he seemed bit weird?"

Jo raised her eyebrows at him, hoping to put him off his train of thought. Whatever was wrong with Henry, she wanted him to tell her because he wanted to, not because the entire precinct knew something was up. "Weird?" She questioned.

"Weirder than usual." Hanson classified. "He just didn't seem like himself."

"I didn't notice anything." Jo shrugged in what she hoped was a nonchalant manner, beginning to walk towards the elevator Henry had just entered moments before. "Coming?" She called to Hanson as she pushed the button, turning to see if he was following her.

As she did so she saw Hanson quickly school his features into a neutral expression, but not before Jo saw his incredulous look and frown. She knew Hanson knew that she also thought something was wrong with Henry.

 _Whatever it is, Henry, I'll figure it out._ Jo thought to herself as she stepped into the elevator.

 **So far so good? Review pleaseeeeee!**

 **Also if you were reading my old story that never got past the second chapter I'm sorry... I wasn't really 'feeling' that story. I guess I'm not good at writing the crime solving part.**

 **Anywayyyy I hope you enjoyed this chapter and this story will (hopefully) be a lot longer than my previous one...**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter two is complete! Hope you enjoy it!**

The brakes of Jo's car squealed slightly as she pulled up outside the shop that night, her headlights casting golden beams of light down the road. Looking into the shop from where she sat she saw Abe come into the room and head towards the desk, yelling something over his shoulder. A few seconds later Jo saw Henry come in, laughing. He went up to Abe and stood behind him, resting a hand on his shoulder as he learnt over to see what Abe was looking at on the desk.

He looked much more at ease and like himself than he had during the day.

After a moment Abe straightened up, waving a small piece of paper at Henry as he turned to leave the room. Henry called something after him, his face crinkled in a smile, but Jo wasn't sure what they were discussing. To her their mouths were moving but no sound was coming out.

As she watched Henry strode towards the window, looking out down the street away from Jo, the smile slowly dropping off his face. His posture returned to the one she had seen him wear in the morgue earlier that day, as if the weight of the world rested on his shoulders. The smile was completely gone by now, replaced instead with an empty look.

Jo opened the car door and slammed it behind her, the sound echoing down the empty street. The sound must have reached Henry through the window, as he turned towards Jo. When he saw her a small smile grew on his face, although Jo noticed that it didn't reach his eyes.

"Detective." Henry greeted her as he opened the door to allow her in.

"Hey, Henry." Jo replied as she stepped over the threshold.

"To what do I owe this pleasure?" He asked as he held out his hands for her coat.

"To be honest, Henry, I came to see how you were." Jo said as she folded the coat over his arm. "You seemed a little bit down today. Is something wrong? You can tell me anything, you know."

Henry bowed his head slightly, a slightly more genuine smile tugging at the corner of his mouth, causing his lines around his eyes to crinkle slightly. It was only then Jo realised how many wrinkles he had, and how much he had seemed to age in the last… she cast her mind back, trying to think. How long had it been? How much he had seemed to age in the last few months.

"That's very kind of you, detective, but I am more than fine." He said, raising his shoulders slightly before dropping them in a casual shrug.

"Really?" Jo sked sceptically. "I do mean it, you know. You can tell me anything." She studied Henry as he looked down at his hands, his fingers turning his pocket watch over one way before turning it back the other way.

Eventually he looked up, his face more relaxed than she had seen it all day apart from when she watched him with Abe though the window. "I know. And thank you for that, and for coming to see how I was faring, but I assure you I am my normal self." Henry sent her a brief smile before gesturing towards the door. "I'm sorry, detective, but it is getting rather late…" he trailed off, hoping she would get the message. She did.

"Of course, I don't want to keep you up." Jo smiled at him as she took her coat back. "Night, Henry. Abe." She nodded towards Abe who had just entered the room. As the door shut behind her she turned, catching Henry's eye. _Anything._ She mouthed at him, raising her eyebrows slightly, before waving to Abe and turning to head towards her car. As she stepped out of the doorway she heard the key click in the lock as Henry locked the door, and she couldn't help but feel as though she was being locked out, both from the shop and from Henry.

It wasn't until she was seated in her car with the engine running that she realised that in their whole conversation Henry hadn't called her by her name once, instead referring to her as 'detective'.

* * *

"What was that about?" Abe asked as Henry locked the door behind Jo.

"Nothing." Henry assured him, removing the key from the lock with a clunking sound. "She was in the neighbourhood on some personal business and she just popped over for a minute of two."

"What business does Jo have in this part of town at past nine at night?" Abe asked sending Henry a sharp look.

"She didn't say and I didn't ask." Henry replied, watching as Jo's car pulled away from the curb and disappeared into the night.

"Henry." Abe huffed, his sigh filling the room, "I overheard some of your conversation. For Jo to come here asking if you're ok, she must have a reason to believe you're not." He waited to see how Henry would reply. His father stood by the shop door, looking out into the darkened street filled with lights.

"Truly, Abe. I'm fine." Henry finally responded, although Abe could tell that he wasn't fine from the stoop of his shoulders and the tension in his neck.

"Come on, Henry." Abe raised his voice slightly in exasperation. "I've put you back together and gotten your life back on track so many times in the past, do you really think once more is going to make a difference to me?" He let that skin in, watching Henry's back. "Aw come on, Pops, you know I can help you."

At that Henry snapped and turned to face Abe, his voice also rising in volume. "That is not the point, Abraham. You are my son; you are not meant to deal with my emotions and help me. That is not how it works." He stormed past Abe and up the stairs to the apartment, his steps echoing around the shop.

"Well that went well." Abe mused to himself as he heard Henry's door shut loudly above him.

* * *

Henry sat down on his bed, his anger already evaporating. He picked up the photo of Abigail from his bedside table; a replica of the one in his laboratory.

"I've tried, just like I promised you I would. But this case is hard for me, and people are noticing." He said, looking down lovingly at the photo. A tear dripped of his nose and landed on the glass of the frame, shining above Abigail's face. Henry gently wiped it off. "I promise," he said to her, "I'll be stronger from now on."

But as the night grew darker and longer and quieter it also grew more sinister for Henry. And he knew he might not be able to keep that promise. No matter how hard he tried. No matter how much Abigail had believed in him.

 **Please review with your thoughts! Merry Christmas to everyone who celebrates it!**


	3. Chapter 3

**TRIGGER WARNING TRIIGER WARNING TRIGFER WARNING! THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS MENTIONS OF SELF HARM.**

 **Sorry this chapter took so long! Hope you like it :)**

Henry woke the next morning feeling refreshed and better than he had in weeks, in strong contrast to how he had felt last night. He dressed in one of his usual three piece suits, carrying the suit jacket over his arm as he made his way down the hallway towards the kitchen where he could hear Abe rattling about. Henry took a deep breath before entering, bracing himself for a bombardment of questions concerning the night before.

To his relief Abe didn't bring that subject up, instead greeting Henry with a "Good morning" and placing a cup of tea in front of him.

"Thanks, Abe." Henry picked up the cup gratefully, blowing on the steaming surface a little to cool it down.

"No problem." Abe replied from where he stood at the stove, frying bacon and two eggs in a pan. Within 5 minutes the smell of their breakfast was filling the apartment, and within 10 Abe was dishing it out onto their plates.

They ate in silence, although Henry noticed Abe watching him curiously every now and then. He could sense the impending interrogation his son was about to start, so as soon as he had finished his breakfast he fled the kitchen, mumbling something about how he had to get to work to help file some reports.

Henry stormed through the shop, throwing open the door that led to the street. As he did so he nearly knocked a brunette with brown eyes of her feet. "Henry!" Jo yelled as she crashed into him, her hands grabbing onto Henry's arms in an attempt to stop herself from falling. "Watch it!"

Once Jo had her balance she let go of Henry's arms and turned to pick up Henry's coat from where it had fallen from his arm, missing his slight grimace of pain as she did so. By the time she had returned her gaze to his, holding out his coat, his facial expressions were under control, the grimace replaced with a faint look of concern.

"I am very sorry, detective. I take it you are not hurt?" He took the coat from her outstretched hands.

"Me, yeah I'm fine, but you? Are you ok?" Jo replied, raising an eyebrow at him.

"I am more than fine." He replied with a smile, and Jo found herself believing him for the first time in the last few times. Something about him seemed lighter, less weighed down.

She smiled back, relieved at the return of the Henry she knew. "Do you want a lift to the precinct?"

* * *

Even Hanson noticed the difference in Henry that morning, commenting to Jo that he seemed like a different person.

Jo rolled her eyes and grinned, saying "See, I told you nothing was wrong with him."

"Nothing was wrong with who?" A British voice behind her made her spin around in her chair, eyes wide.

"Henry! Don't creep up on people like that!" Jo exclaimed. "You could give someone a heart attack!"

"That's a fair point." Henry admitted, tilting his head to the side slightly, "But a physical impossibility. Heart attacks are caused not by a sudden shock but by the-"

"Henry, stop." Jo interrupted him. "I don't want a lecture on what causes a heart attack. I assume you have a reason for coming up here?" She asked, raising an eyebrow at him and gesturing towards the folder he held. As she was waiting for his response she saw a flicker of emotions fly across his face, almost too fast for her to notice. His face had dropped at the reminder of the case they were working on, his eyes suddenly haunted, but before Jo could blink his usual smile was back, although like the previous night, it didn't reach his eyes.

"Yes of course." He cleared his throat, handing her the folder. "Lucas was able to retrieve a fingerprint from on the victim's shoulder, probably left when the murderer was placing the rope around her neck."

"Does this murderer have a name?" Jo asked excitedly, looking up at Henry, who pointed at the folder she was holding.

"Open it." He said, his voice flat and lacking emotion, unlike Jo's. Out of the corner of his eye Henry saw Hanson give him a weird look; usually Henry was more excited about a breakthrough in a case than them.

"Hank Grayson." Jo read from the folder open on her knee. "28 years old, lives in Manhattan, and worked with the victim. Let's go get him." She stood, gathering up her coat from where it hung on the back of her chair. "You might want to grab your coat, Henry." She advised, looking at the thin suit jacket he wore. "It's rather cold outside."

"I think I'll stay here, detective." Henry looked back towards the lift that would take him to the morgue. "I have some work to do."

"Really? You sure, doc?" Hanson looked taken aback.

Jo frowned slightly; Henry never turned down an opportunity to tag along, but decided not to push him. "Ok. We'll tell you what happens afterwards, then." She said, turning to head out of the precinct, ushering Hanson in front of her. Just before they disappeared, she twisted her head to look at Henry. "Anything." She mouthed at him. "You can tell me anything."

* * *

As Hanson pulled out from his parking spot he flicked Jo a look. "You cannot tell me that nothing is wrong with him. That is not the normal Henry, ok? He may have been fine this morning but he most definitely is not now."

 _I know._ Jo thought to herself. _Either he has gotten worse as the day went on, or he was never truly OK this morning._

* * *

That afternoon, once the case had been wrapped up and he had listened to Jo's enthusiastic retelling of the arrest, Henry headed back to the comfort and security of the antique shop. He gave Abe a brief rundown on his day, before descending into his laboratory and shutting the trapdoor firmly behind him.

Once he was finally alone Henry sighed deeply, shrugging off his suit jacket before dropping his weary body into his desk chair. The peacefulness he had felt that morning was long gone, replaced instead with the empty feeling he was coming to know so well.

Slowly, he began rolling up his crisp white sleeves to reveal a previously white bandage that had since turned red in some spots. Henry unwound this bandage as though he was unwrapping a gift; slowly and delicately as though he was unsure what he might find inside, but at the same time thought he knew. The angry red cuts that worked their way up his inner arm were slightly tender to his touch. Slowly he ran his fingers across them, trying not to flinch at the pain travelling up his arm as he reopened the wounds, new blood spilling out and painting his skin dark crimson. He was vaguely aware of the shop door opening above him and Abe talking to someone, the soft rise and fall of their voices too low to understand.

What he did understand was Jo's voice, suddenly loud and clear as she lifted the trapdoor and called down.

"Henry?"

 **So I am currently writing this at 11.30pm at night because otherwise my family asks me why I spend** **so much time on my laptop during the summer holidays...** **I hope these late nights have paid off! Please review!**

 **Also I know this story is a little 'clumpy' and jumps around a bit, but I'm working on it and hopefully the next one will be better... :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Please don't kill me please don't kill me please don't kill me! I know that I haven't posted in a while (and by a while I mean several months...) but I'm back now and... yeah... I don't really have a good reason for why you shouldn't kill me for not posting...**

 **If anyone can remember what had happened previously in this story and is still interested, then here is chapter 4:**

"Henry?" Jo's voice startled Henry and he jumped, pain throbbing up his arm as he knocked it against the desk. Hurriedly, he grabbed the soiled bandage he had just removed and started wrapping it around his lower arm.

"I'll be there in a minute!" He called up to Jo as he eyed the safety pin on his desk. To pick it up he had to let go of the end of the bandage where he held it. Henry glanced down at his arm, then up at the pin, then down at the bandage before letting go of the end and lunging towards his desk. His fingers closed around the pin, but when he looked back down at the bandage he saw that it had begun to unravel. A string of curse words ran through his head, and he muttered under his breath.

"Henry?" He heard Jo call again, and this time it sounded closer, as though she was halfway down the stairs. Henry stopped what he was doing and sure enough, if he listened, he could hear her footsteps tap-tapping down the old wooden stairs. In a last ditch attempt he raced to meet her at the bottom of the steps before she entered the room, and caught her just before her foot left the last step, his arm hidden behind his back.

"Detective" He greeted her, forcing what he hoped was a charming smile onto his face, banishing his true emotions. "I'm afraid I'm in the middle of something at the moment, but I'm sure Abe will make you a hot drink while I finish up."

"I didn't come here for hot drinks, Henry." Jo's eyes searched his, flickering across his face. "I came here to talk to you. Are you sure you're ok? You've been acting… differently to usual lately." Henry opened his mouth to speak but Jo ploughed over him. "Other people have noticed it as well, so don't say I'm imagining it."

Henry knew when he was beaten, and he bowed his head slightly in acknowledgement. "I admit I've been under some stress lately, but I am fine, truly." He forced another smile onto his face. "I appreciate your concern."

Abe's voice drifted down the stairs. "Henry, I'm going to the shops to buy rice for dinner. Do you want to stay, Jo?"

Henry froze slightly. He'd been hoping that he would be able to suffer through a few awkward minutes of conversation with Jo before attempting to make her leave, possibly by using the 'I have a dinner date to get to' excuse, although it rather looked like Abe had ruined his chances of that.

"Yes please, I'd love to stay." Jo called back up to Abe. "Your cooking is amazing!" There was a shuffling from above their heads before a slightly muffled shout reached their ears, accompanied with some dry laughter.

"Maybe you could teacher Henry how to give compliments, huh, Jo?" Abe chuckled. "I'll be back in half an hour or so." The faint sound of the door signalled his departure. In the silence that followed, Henry could almost feel Jo's eyes on him, trying to strip away his defences.

"Are you going to tell me what's going on, now?" Jo's voice was beseeching, and when Henry lifted his head to meet her eyes, she raised her eyebrows. She raised them only ever so slightly, but enough to show Henry that she meant business.

"Is this how you interrogate suspects?" Henry tried to joke, pushing his mouth up into a smile. "Because I can see you don't give up."

"We have half an hour until Abe comes back." Jo informed him seriously. "You have 30 minutes to tell me what is going on. Everyone at work is worried about you. I know it may seem like everyone is wrapped up in their work half the time, but they all care about you. We all do."

Henry's fingers tightened around the safety pin behind his back, the metal digging into his hand and reminding him that he could not let Jo in, however much he wanted to. As soon as she discovered the secrets that his sleeves concealed…

She would be horrified. Disgusted. _And rightly so._ Henry thought to himself. After all, who did that to themselves? Not a normal person.

Henry realised that they were still standing at the bottom of the stairs, Jo almost the same height as him with the help of her heels and the step on which she was standing. "If you'd like to take a seat on one of the chairs over there, I'll join you in a minute." He said, "I'll get us some tea." He gestured towards two chairs in the corner of the room, stepping back to allow Jo to pass him.

"I told you, I don't want tea, I want to talk- Henry!" Jo broke off, exclaiming. "You're bleeding!" Her eyes were focused on Henry's arm, still outstretched from guiding her towards the seating. He pulled his arm back towards his body and made to tuck it into his side, but Jo caught his hand, stopping him. Her mouth opened and closed as she fought to find the right words, one hand holding his, her other moving towards his forearm, her fingers hovering over his bandage as though she didn't want to touch him but didn't know what else to do. Henry saw the realisation dawn in her eyes as she whispered "What have you done to yourself?"

Henry felt his own gaze drawn to his arm. It was obvious what the rapidly unwinding bandage was hiding, the dark red of his blood beginning to soak through in lines. Lines to regular to be caused by anything other than Henry's own hand. "I had a run in with a dog on the way home…" He trailed off, his words sounding weak to his own ears.

Henry felt Jo's eyes travel from his arm to his face; felt them rest there. Heard her whisper "Henry, please don't shut me out. You can't expect me to believe that was caused by a dog." He lifted his gaze to meet hers.

"I don't know what else to tell you."

 **I promise I'm going to resume updating regularly from now on, school and stuff just got in the way... Let me know how you liked this chapter! (if you want to post a review just yelling at me about not posting, go ahead! I deserve it *insert laughing emoji here*)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Not such a long wait in between chapters this time! I still feel bad about that! Enjoy!**

"I don't know what else to tell you" Henry's words hung heavy in the air between Jo and himself, despite the fact that he had only whispered them. His eyes, still fixed on Jo's, which usually seemed so confident, looked empty. Empty and scared.

"The truth, Henry. You could have told me the truth." Jo's voice had raised a notch and she saw Henry flinch slightly. She moderated her volume before trying again. "You can trust me."

"No, I couldn't have." Henry laughed bitterly. "Self ha-" He cut himself off, the words stuck in his throat. _If you don't say it it's not real._ "This," He gestured to his arm, "this isn't normal. People were sent to the mad house for stuff like this, Jo. I was sent-" he cut himself off again; scared he'd said too much.

To his relief Jo didn't press him. She simply dropped her eyes to his forearm before opening her mouth to speak. "Let's get this sorted, shall we? Then we can talk." Her eyes flickered to Henry's as she spoke, letting him know that there was no way he was getting out of the impending conversation. He forced a small smile onto his face, trying to look less panicked then he really was.

Jo led Henry over to the chair by his desk, holding the half unravelled bandage on the wounds to stop it unravelling anymore. "Hold this." She said to him as her eyes roamed his desk. "Where do you keep your bandages and stuff?"

"Over there." Henry nodded towards a cabinet on the other side of the room. "In the top draw. There's a first aid kit." He took over holding the bandage, wincing a little as his hand brushed over one of the cuts.

"Do you realise how serious this is, Henry?" Jo asked, her voice slightly muffled as she face the wall, rifling through the draw. "If lieutenant Reece found out she could stop you working cases with Hanson and me, or if things got out of hand you could end up dead! Surely you must know that, being an M.E."

"Believe me, I know." Henry replied, sarcasm dripping off his tongue. Jo shot him a weird look over her shoulder before returning to her task.

A minute later she was crossing the room towards him, a small pile of supplies in her hands. "People get addicted to this sort of stuff, Henry. It takes over their entire lives. You don't 'play' with this. It's not something you can just 'try' and see how you like it." She dropped the bandages and wipes she was carrying on the table next to him, a mixture between a stern and angry expression on her face.

"Believe me, I know." Henry repeated, earning him another look from Jo, although she dropped the subject, preferring to focus on the task at hand. For now.

She gently began unwinding his bandage, sucking in her breath when the angry red cuts came into view. She glanced up at Henry, whose own eyes were fixated on his arm. Jo shook her head slightly, forcing herself to focus. _Antiseptic wipes._ A voice in the back of her mind told her. _You have to clean them first._

Henry jumped a bit when she first touched his skin with one of the wipes, hissing through his teeth. "Stings." He muttered.

Jo raised her eyebrows at him. "Well do you want to let it get infected or not." At Henry's lack of a response she nodded. "Thought not." She went back to her job, trying to be careful so that she didn't hurt Henry, but brisk enough that he knew she was annoyed he hadn't trusted her.

Sure enough, she soon heard him sigh. "Jo, I-" She lifted one hand to cut him off.

"We can talk about this after, okay? For now you can just," she waved her hand at the bandages on the desk, "pass me one of those, would you? And one of those thin gauze things."

Henry did what she asked, handing her the gauze first, still in its sealed packet, and then the bandage which she placed beside her on the floor. With nimble fingers, Jo opened the packet, making sure to touch only a small corner of the gauze with her fingers before placing it over the wounds. "What are you doing?" Henry asked her.

"The gauze is sterile, so it'll prevent infection." She replied as she began wrapping the bandage around his arm, over the gauze, with deft movements. Henry wordlessly handed her the safety pin he still held in his hand and Jo secured the bandage.

She pulled up a chair from the corner of the room and sat down. "Are you ready to tell me everything now?" She asked, gently. "I just want to help you."

"It doesn't work that way, Jo." Henry looked everywhere in the room but at her. "I can't drag you down into this with me."

"I'm asking you, as a friend, to trust me, Henry." Jo leaned forward and clasped his hands in hers, forcing him to look at her. "All this time this was happening right in front of me and I never knew. You are good at keeping secrets, I'll give you that. But now I know, and I want to help, so won't you please let me in?"

"It's complicated." Henry sighed. "It's a lot of things you wouldn't understand, and the case we had just tipped me over the edge. This is how I cope."

"Case?" Jo frowned slightly, trying to remember. Then her eyes widened slightly. "Oh. The one with the girl who…" she trailed off, one hand gesturing at Henry's arms.

"Yes. That one." Henry's eyes looked empty as he nodded. "It got to me. I thought I was past this but apparently not."

"Can't you talk to someone about it?" Jo asked. "Abe, perhaps? Or me? Confidentially?"

Henry dropped his eyes to where his hands still rested in Jo's. "I can't tell Abe, because… for reasons you wouldn't understand. And I can't talk to you about it because you wouldn't understand why I do this either."

"Can't you try?" Jo looked at him beseechingly. "I'll try my best to understand"

"It's not that easy, Jo!" Henry exclaimed. "I'm used to keeping everything to myself and not talking about it. I'm used to people leaving me when they hear my story. I don't want to talk about it with you, just to see the 'pity' in your eyes when you think I'm broken, or weak. I don't want you to treat me like I'm different." He fixed him eyes on hers. "I don't want to talk about it."

"I wouldn't do that!" Jo was astonished. "I would never treat you differently. Never! I just want to help you!"

"You say that now." Henry's mouth curved up into a sad smile. "You say that now, but you haven't experienced life like I have."

 **Sorry it's been a little while again in between updates (not as long as last time at least!)! Exams are starting and I'm really beginning to freak out about them! Plus I had some 'friend drama' to deal with... my friends mean well, but (like Jo), they don't really understand when people don't want to talk about stuff. Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter! Review please? I'm a sucker for reviews! :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Yay for only one exam to go! And then only one week until my school holidays! I'm so excited! Hope you enjoy this chapter :)))**

* * *

 _"I wouldn't do that!" Jo was astonished. "I would never treat you differently. Never! I just want to help you!"_

 _"You say that now." Henry's mouth curved up into a sad smile. "You say that now, but you haven't experienced life like I have."_

* * *

"Then tell me." Jo looked at Henry in exasperation, her eyes filled with disbelief. "Tell me about your life. You've barely told me anything about your past, or even anything about you, period! Why won't you just trust me, and let me in. You can tell me anything, you know that. You can tell me about whatever you have experienced in life that has made you feel and act this way. Please." She trailed off, her eyes still fixed on Henry's. "All this time this was happening right in front of me and I never knew. You are good at keeping secrets, I'll give you that."

"I think this conversation is over." Henry dropped his eyes, and began rolling down his sleeve to cover the bandage.

"No, Henry, you can't keep all of this to yourself." Jo reached out a hand to stop him, but he turned away, refusing to meet her eyes.

"I said, this conversation is over." Henry repeated. "There is nothing more to say." He stood from the chair in which he had been seated, brushing lint that had fallen from the bandage off his trousers as though he was brushing away their conversation, before turning his back to her.

"Henry, please-" Jo stopped short as Henry spun around to her.

"Henry, please what?!" He growled, mimicking Jo, his eyes filled with a fire that she hadn't seen him possess before. "You don't understand, Jo, and you never will. So drop it, okay? I appreciate your concern, and I understand that you think you are doing the right thing, but what you don't seem to comprehend is that I don't think you'll understand, and as a result," Henry lifted his voice for emphasis, " I don't want to talk to you about it!"

Jo stared at him with her brown eyes round, blinking, as he turned to face away from her, his shoulders slouched and despondent. She had never seen Henry act like this before. He was always so uptight, and reliable, and, 'normal', almost, although you never could really classify Henry as normal. But this? This was different. To see Henry break down like he just had; to see him completely let go and yell at her like this... Jo knew something big was up. Henry had always been the person she could turn to, who had been there for her when she was missing Sean after a particularly hard case, and had been someone she could count on, but now it was like he was a different person.

Jo couldn't help but think that if this was what Henry was like when he was going through a rough patch, either he didn't normally succumb to his demons, or he was very good at hiding it when he was. Or maybe she just never noticed.

Jo realized Henry had left the room while she had been deep in thought, and above her she heard a faint tinkle as the shop door opened. She raced up the stairs and through the store, barely pausing to grab her coat from where it hung on the coat stand and shrug it on before shoving open the front door and all but falling out into the street, frantically turning her head to look up down the street, the words ' _I must find Henry, I must find Henry'_ repeating in her head like a chant.

To her relief he was standing only a few feet away from the shop in the cold facing away from her, down the street. As Jo took a step towards him she saw his shoulders tense slightly and she paused, realizing he must have come up here to escape the intensity of their conversation in the basement, and to clear his mind.

"Henry." His name left her lips as a whisper, her breath hanging between them in the cold winter's air like a white flag, like a peace offering. "Henry, I'm sorry." Jo shook her head slightly, her eyes beginning to brim with tears. She blinked angrily. _I will not cry._ She thought. _No way._ "I'm so sorry, Henry. I pushed too much, and for that I am so, so sorry. I just…" she trailed off, her voice dropping. "I just wish you could trust me enough to let me in. But you should know that, even if you don't want to tell me, I will always be here for you." She took a few steps towards him and reached out, her hand landing on his shoulder gently, a feather of touches. "Whatever you need, or want, I'll be here for you. Always remember that."

Jo dropped her hand from where it rested on his shoulder and turned to go back inside, giving Henry some space and time, but to her surprise he cleared his throat, his voice emerging with a quaver in it. "Jo, wait." He sounded calmer now than he had been, and Jo tuned to face him to see that the anger that had taken control before was gone, leaving the Henry she knew standing before her. Although, not quite the Henry she knew. There was something, some emotion she didn't recognize, clouding in his eyes.

"Jo." Henry said again, and this time his voice was a little stronger, without a quaver. "Jo, I wanted-" Henry swallowed and looked away from her, breaking eye contact. "I wanted to say thank you," He said, looking at the sidewalk. "For caring about me and being there for me, even if I didn't want you to be." His voice cracked a little. "Thank you for trying."

He looked so broken in that moment, that Jo closed the small space between them and threw her arms around him, resting her head on his shoulder. She heard Henry's sharp intake of breath, before his own arms gently came to rest on her back, holding her to him. "Thank you." He whispered.

Jo leaned back slightly, so she could see his face. "I still want you to tell me- when you're ready, of course- what is going on, okay? But for now I need to know that you'll be okay."

"I'll be fine." Henry's breath tickled Jo's skin as he replied, making her shiver as she realized just how close they were together; their arms still around each other, and their faces no more than a ruler's length apart. Anyone watching them would think they were a couple. As Jo looked up at Henry, she saw his eyes darken slightly as he took in their position. "Jo," He whispered, "Jo, I think-"

He stopped talking suddenly, his eyes flickering up to a spot behind her and widening in a combination of surprise and panic as a low, gravelly voice spoke. "Well, well, well, what a touching scene".

Jo had only a moment to be confused, before a frantic "No!" tore itself out of Henry's throat as he twisted them around, pushing Jo none too gently behind him as he spun to face the man who had appeared out of the shadows wearing an old fashioned peaked cap.

She had only a moment to be confused before a loud gunshot resonated down the street, echoing off the cold, grey, concrete buildings.

She had only a moment to be confused before Henry was falling back onto the sidewalk, the man with the gun disappearing back into the shadows from which he'd emerged from as Jo desperately fumbled for her gun as she dropped down beside Henry.

She had only a moment to be confused before she realized that the man was gone, she still hadn't gotten her gun out, and that Henry was bleeding.

She had only a moment to be confused before she realized that Henry was dying.

* * *

 **Yay for a cliffhanger! I know everyone always loves a cliff hanger sooooo here ya go! I think I'll probably post the next chapter within the next month or so... kidding! It should be up within the week, but no promises!**


	7. Chapter 7

**I ALMOST STUCK TO MY PROMISE! It's been about a week since my last update! Go me! *high fives myself***

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 _She had only a moment to be confused before a loud gunshot resonated down the street, echoing off the cold, grey, concrete buildings._

 _She had only a moment to be confused before Henry was falling back onto the sidewalk, the man with the gun disappearing back into the shadows from which he'd emerged from as Jo desperately fumbled for her gun as she dropped down beside Henry._

 _She had only a moment to be confused before she realised that the man was gone, she still hadn't gotten her gun out, and that Henry was bleeding._

 _She had only a moment to be confused before she realised that Henry was dying._

* * *

"Henry!" Jo screamed, her gun finally drawn and pointing at the dark shadows where the man had disappeared, although he was long gone. "Henry!"

Frantically she dropped her gun as she reached for her phone with shaking hands, tears beginning to drip their way down her face and form drops on her nose. She pulled her phone roughly from her pocket, her only thought saving Henry.

"Jo…" Her name was a rasp, weak and pain filled, and she looked down from her phone to find Henry's glazed eyes locked on hers, a small bubble of blood trickling its way out of the corner of his mouth. Jo couldn't help but notice the contrast between the bright red blood and Henry's pale, oh so pale, skin. There was a spreading circle of dark red blood blossoming like a disturbingly beautiful flower on his torso, staining his suit vest. "Jo, I-"

She cut him off. "Shh, Henry, don't try to speak. You need to save your energy. I'm calling for an ambulance; you're going to be okay." Jo's voice broke then, as she realised that what she said wasn't necessarily true; Henry might not be okay. "You're going to be fine." She reiterated, trying to make her voice sound stronger and more confident as she looked back up at her phone, opening the keypad to call 911. As she began typing in the number, a cold hand was suddenly tugging at hers, causing her to drop the phone onto the cold concrete of the sidewalk.

"We both know that's not true." Henry's voice was only a little more than a whisper now, fading. "I'm going to die, Jo. There's nothing you can do about it."

"Henry, please, let me call you an ambulance." Jo reached for the phone where it had fallen, the number still displayed on the screen. All she needed to do was press the glowing green button… Henry's hand closed over hers, stopping her, his face tight with the effort.

"No, Jo. Please, I'm asking you to trust me now. Don't call an ambulance. Call Abe…" His voice drifted off, his eyes closing, and for a moment Jo thought she'd lost him; that he was forever gone, but then his voice returned and his eyes flickered open once more. "Please call Abe. He'll explain everything. I'm so sorry, Jo. I'm so-"

This time Jo knew he was gone. His hand slipped from hers and hit the ground with a soft thud as the light in his eyes faded.

"No!" Jo cried, her voice desperate, heartbroken. "Please, no." She had been kneeling next to Henry, and now she fell forward, her hands scrabbling for one of Henry's until she found it. Her fingers tightened around his, her forehead resting on his chest as her shoulders began shaking as sobs ripped their way out of her throat.

"Henry, please. No, Henry! No, no, this can't be happening, please!" Her words were jumbled as they fell out of her mouth, Jo's voice rising in her hysteria. "Please don't let this be happening-" She stopped short as she suddenly fell forward, Henry's hand disappearing from hers.

Startled, she sat back on her knees, one hand flying up to cover her mouth as she took in the spot where Henry's body had been lying just a few seconds before. Now there was nothing in front of her to show that Henry had ever been there.

"Henry?" Jo's voice was a whisper as she took her hand away from her mouth. "Henry? Where are you? What is going on?"

* * *

In the shadows, watching Jo, stood a man. A man wearing an old fashioned peak cap, with a low gravelly voice.

He watched as Jo cried over Henry's body. He watched as Henry's body disappeared, and Jo sat up with a panicked look on her face.

"Henry?" Her voice, despite only being a whisper, floated over to him. "Henry? Where are you? What is going on?"

A small smirk grew on the man's face, his eyes glinting a little in the small amount of light reaching him where he stood. "Wouldn't you like to know?" He spoke to himself. "You're going to have to tell her now, Henry. This was your biggest fear, was it not? Your life is over. This part of it, anyway."

He melted back further into the shadows, completely disappearing.

* * *

"Pick up, pick up, pick up." Jo muttered under her breath, frantically, her phone pressed to her ear. "Come on Abe." The robotic sounding calling tone stopped, and for a moment Jo was hopeful before the voicemail service picked up. Again.

" _Hi, you've reached Abe's phone. I'm not available at the moment so leave a message-"_ Jo hung up, and began pacing back and forth in front of the store.

 _Where was Abe anyway? He'd only gone to get rice; he should be back by now._ Jo thought to herself. She sighed, spinning on her heel and pacing back the other way. What the hell had happened? Was she going crazy? Bodies didn't just disappear like that. Did they? Jo shook her head. _Maybe I am going crazy._

She spun around again to begin pacing the other way and almost bumped into Abe who was carrying a large shopping bag, a concerned look on his face.

"Are you okay, kiddo?" He asked, worry etched into his face. "You've been pacing back and forth for a while now. I saw you from down the street. I tried calling but you must not have heard me- are you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost!" Jo opened and closed her mouth, but couldn't bring herself to speak. Abe seemed to realise then that Henry wasn't there. "Where's Henry? Is he inside?"

At the mention of Henry's name, Jo burst into tears, dropping her face into her hands. "I'm so sorry, Abe." She choked out between sobs. "There was this guy, and he had gun, and, and-" She sniffed loudly. "He just disappeared. I don't understand. I'm so sorry." She dissolved back into tears.

Abe's face dropped. "Come inside, Jo. I'll explain everything." He led her inside, dropping the bag of groceries by the coat stand as he pulled the door shut behind them, before sighing loudly.

"It's a very long story, and not really mine to tell." He said as he made his way over to the desk and began rummaging in one of the draws.

"No!" Jo's crying had subsided a little by now. "No! Henry said you'd explain everything. Please, Abe."

"Aha!" Abe held up a pair of car keys. "I found them!" He moved towards the front door. "Come on, I'll tell you what I can in the car." He flashed Jo a quick smile before muttering under his breath, "Henry's got a lot of explaining to do."

 **My exams are over now (until the next lot in November, anyway...), so I should (theoretically) be able to upload more often! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, please review!**

 **Love you guys!**

 **Chocolate-thief**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey guys! I'm backkkkk! Hope you enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

 _"Aha!" Abe held up a pair of car keys. "I found them!" He moved towards the front door. "Come on, I'll tell you what I can in the car." He flashed Jo a quick smile before muttering under his breath, "Henry's got a lot of explaining to do."_

* * *

"I just don't understand!" Jo exclaimed after listening to Abe's attempt at explaining his father's condition. "Are you saying he can't die? How is that possible?!"

"No, he can die," Abe stopped at a red traffic light. "He just doesn't stay dead."

Jo shook her head, her brown curls bouncing. "It's just not physically possible." She said, almost to herself. "Is it?"

"It shouldn't be." The light turned green and Abe turned the corner, the river now in view at the end of the road, illuminated by the numerous street lights. "As long as I've known Henry, he's always been trying to figure it out. He calls it a curse."

"How long have you known Henry?" Jo sent Abe a quick smile as they drew closer to the river. "Did you watch him grow up?"

Abe gave a short, dry laugh. "Henry's condition doesn't exactly work like that, Jo. He doesn't 'grow up' as you put it."

Jo's forehead wrinkled in confusion. "I though you said he could never die, not that he's frozen in time."

"For Henry, it's one and the same, kiddo. He's always been 35, at least on the outside, the whole time I've known him." Abe slowed the car, pulling into a parking space. He turned the car off and twisted around in his seat to reach into the back of the car and rummage around under one of the seats, muttering something under his breath about old age and " _I'm not getting any younger so I do wish Henry would stop making me do this every couple of weeks."_

He settled back into his seat, a plastic bag that Jo did not recognise, containing what looked like a towel and an assortment of clothes, on his lap. At Jo's confused look he chuckled. "We always keep a set of spare clothes and a towel in the car, just in case. Over the years Henry has made quite a habit of ending up in this river, and it helps to have some clothes handy in case I'm away from the shop. Trust me; it raises a few eyebrows to have a naked man in your car."

"Naked?" Jo asked, incredulously. "You just told me that he came back in the East River, not that he came back _naked!_ "

"What, you think he really was skinny dipping all those times?" Abe chuckled again, pushing the bag towards Jo. "Here. Go find him. He'll probably be camped out in some bushes or something, waiting."

Jo's eyes widened, glinting in the light from a street lamp. "Me?"

"Yes, you." Abe leant over Jo and pushed he door open, muttering, "God knows I've been doing more than my share of this lately."

Jo swallowed nervously before getting out of the car, the bag clutched close to her chest. She shivered slightly in the cold night air, the plastic of the bag rustling in the wind. _If I'm cold, then Henry must be freezing_ she thought to herself, as she pulled her coat tighter.

"Henry?" She called softly, making her way over to some bushes at the edge of the carpark. "Henry, are you there?" Silence met her calls, and she had started to turn to walk back to the car to ask Abe where else he might be when suddenly she heard a small rustle behind her, and before she could react, a hand closed around her upper arm.

She drew her breath in sharply as she twisted around to confront whoever had grabbed her, her other hand already raised to defend herself, and found herself looking into Henry's eyes.

"Jo, relax, it's me." He let go of her, his voice sounding just the same as it always had, and Jo suddenly found herself dissolving into tears as she truly realised for the first time since Henry had been shot that _he was okay._

"Oh my gosh, Henry, I thought you were dead!" She hit him on the chest with the plastic bag. "I thought you were dead, and then I thought I was losing my mind, all because you couldn't just tell me about this before!" She hit him again, and again, until Henry grasped her wrist to stop her, and then suddenly, she wasn't quite sure how, his arms were around her. He held Jo close as she sobbed, her face pressed tightly into the crook of his neck, her hands coming up to pull him closer, still unbelieving that he _really_ was alive. She touched skin. Soft, cold, slightly wet skin.

"Oh!" She jumped back, suddenly realising that she was still holding the plastic bag and that Henry was still naked. "Oh my gosh, Henry, I'm so sorry," Jo exclaimed, not meeting Henry's eye as she held out the plastic bag. "Here."

Henry's eyes had widened when Jo had jumped back, as he too suddenly realised the position they were in, one hand dropping to cover himself. "Thanks." He reached out an arm to take the bag from her, before clearing his throat. "Jo? Would you mind awfully turning the other way for a moment?"

Jo blushed. "Of course." She stammered as she spun around, her cheeks burning. What seemed like only a few seconds later, there was another rustle from behind her and suddenly Henry was standing next to her, drying his hair with the towel.

"That was fast." Jo commented, trying to sound nonchalant.

"I've had a lot of practise at getting dressed quickly over the years." Henry sounded laughed a little, but it held no humour.

Jo turned to face him. "Henry? How old are you really? If it's okay for me to ask. Abe said you'll always be 35 on the outside."

Henry looked down at her. "I will always look 35. All I've ever wanted was to grow old, and to be able to stay in one place forever without someone wondering why I haven't aged. I'm beginning to accept that no matter what I do, I will never end this curse. I've accepted that I will always look like this. That eventually everyone I know and love will be gone, and I'll still be here. Alone."

"Henry." Jo reached out to rest her hand on his shoulder. She couldn't imagine what it must be like to live with people, knowing one day they'd all be gone and you'd still be here.

"I'm 235 years old." Henry said abruptly. "I have been living this curse for just over 200 years, and it has never gotten easier. However much I hate this life, there is no escape. I cannot end the curse. Or my life."

He walked towards the car, where Abe was waiting. Jo watched him go, his words ringing in his ears.

"I cannot end the curse. Or my life."

 **This chapter kind took a depressing turn in the last little bit... oops**

 **So it's holidays now, and that means lots of sleeping in! YAY! Actually no it doesn't because I'm working everyday so I still have to get up early... Think about the money! Also this is probably the last update for the next week or so because tomorrow my sister and I are going to the mountains for a holiday with some friends... wish me luck because I can't ski!**

 **BYEEEE!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey everyone! In case you're wondering (you're probably not), skiing was great! That was sarcasm by the way. I managed to ski for one whole day before getting my ski stuck in the mushy snow at the end of the chairlift and injuring my knee... the physio says no sport for around 6 weeks :) I'm totally not annoyed at all!**

 **On another note, enjoy this chapter! It's a little boring but oh well :)**

* * *

 _"I'm 235 years old." Henry said abruptly. "I have been living this curse for just over 200 years, and it has never gotten easier. However much I hate this life, there is no escape. I cannot end the curse. Or my life."_

 _He walked towards the car, where Abe was waiting. Jo watched him go, his words ringing in his ears._

 _"I cannot end the curse. Or my life."_

* * *

Jo stood in silence, watching Henry walk towards Abe and the waiting car, a million thoughts running through her head. Henry had never been able to live his life how everyone else did, and how he wanted to, because of his curse. Everything she had ever taken for granted, he didn't have.

She hurried after him towards the car, questions forming in her head. By the time she reached the car, Henry had already slid into the passenger seat and was coffering with Abe in hushed tones. Jo opened the backdoor, noticing that as soon as she did the two in the front stopped their conversation.

Henry twisted to look back at Jo with a faint smile, while Abe continued to glare at him. "All I'm saying, Henry, is that this time might be different."

"This time is different from what?" Jo asked as he started the car.

"Nothing." Now it was Henry's turn to glare at Abe. They drove in silence for a few moments before Henry seemed to sense the mountain of questions building up inside Jo. Turning around to face her once again, she noticed how tired his eyes looked. "I promise I'll explain everything I can once we get back to the shop."

Jo nodded. "As Abe said, you have a lot of explaining to do."

A bark of laughter escaped Henry, as he spun around to look at Abe, who shrugged his shoulders and grinned mischievously. "What? You do have a lot to explain. I still think you should have told her earlier. Just because of Nora-"

"Enough, Abe." Henry suddenly cut Abe off, his face holding none of the humour it did just moments before.

Jo, in the backseat, sense that something had just happened and that Abe had crossed the line with Henry, but curiosity got the better of her. "Who's Nora?"

"Everything I hope you're not." Henry muttered under his breath, staring out the front windscreen as they drew closer to the shop.

"Oh, come on Henry, that's not fair." Abe slowed down as they neared a parking space. "There's no way that Jo is going to be like Nora. Give her a chance."

Henry didn't say another word as Abe parked the car, or as the three of them walked to the shop. Once they were inside, Jo and Abe shedding their thick winter coats, he excused himself, gesturing at his odd, mismatched clothing. Jo followed Abe up the stairs into the apartment and into the kitchen, where he proceeded to fill the kettle and put it onto boil.

"Be patient with him, Jo." Abe said as the kettle began to whistle, filling the kitchen with its high pitched call. "It's been a while since he's had to tell someone this story, and in the past some people haven't taken it so well."

"Nora." Jo said, and it wasn't a question. Henry's reaction in the car had told her that whoever Nora was, she had hurt Henry in some way.

"Yes, Nora." Abe opened a high cupboard and reached for the teabags, groaning. "Damn it, Henry." He caught Jo's curious look. "He always puts them on the highest shelf, and my body isn't as young as it used to be."

"Here, I got it." Jo reached up, standing on her tiptoes, and grabbed the packet of teabags. She handed them to Abe, who was getting 3 mugs out from a lower cupboard.

"Thanks." He opened the packet. "Anyway, as I was saying, take it easy on Henry. This isn't easy for him, and he's had a lot going on recently in his life."

 _I'll bet, if his actions are anything to go on,_ thought Jo, her mind supplying mental images of her bandaging up Henry's wrists. She nodded to Abe. "I will. You know how much I care about Henry."

"I know. It's a shame he can't see it himself. I just don't want to see you hurt him in anyway." Abe passed her a steaming cup of tea.

"Trust me, I won't." Jo said as she took the cup.

"You won't what?" Henry asked, stepping into the room. The mismatched clothing was gone, replaced with Henry's usual outfit; suit pants, a white shirt, and a vest. He was halfway through pulling a woollen sweater on over the top.

"Your clothes are so old fashioned." Jo found herself speaking, and blushed bright red. "I mean, they're not really modern. I never really thought about it before, but now…" She forced herself to stop talking, instead taking a sip of her tea.

"I was brought up believing that a gentleman always wore a suit, and presented himself in a smart fashion." Henry smiled a little at Jo's awkwardness. "Shall we?" He extended an arm towards the living room, the perfect image of elegance and politeness, although Jo could see that under his cool surface, Henry was worried. His eyes darted to Abe, who, with a quick shake of his head, disappeared back down the stairs into the shop.

Henry followed Jo into the sitting room and took a seat next to her, his eyes landing everywhere in the room but on her.

"Henry." Jo spoke quietly. "Henry, it's okay to be nervous. But I'm telling you now, you can trust me."

Henry gave her a wan smile. "I know. I just never wanted to be in this position." He took a deep breath as he watched the steam rise up from their cups where they sat on the coffee table. "It's a really long story." He said finally.

"I love long stories." Jo tried to smile at him reassuringly.

"I was born in 1779." Henry said, staring at his hands. "I was born to a wealthy couple in England. When I was 35, I discovered that my father was involved in the slave trade. I was horrified, and decided that I wanted nothing more to do with my family.

"I left my home country for the Colonies, for America, as a doctor on a slave ship of my father's. I decided that I'd try and free the slaves on board, but before I could, one of the slaves became sick. It was nothing major, and the man would have been fine in a few days, but the captain didn't agree. When I tried to protect the man, I was shot and thrown overboard. Recently I found out that when I was shot I dropped the key for the cells the slaves were in. They managed to escape and revolted. They survived and lived out their lives as free people."

"The Empress of Africa." Jo stared at Henry. "That was your family's ship?"

"Yes." Henry nodded. "To this day I still don't know what happened, but I found myself alive, and naked, in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Eventually I was picked up by another ship and I made my way back to England. When I told my wife, Nora, about it, she sent me to a lunatic asylum. Since then I've told barely anyone about my curse. Just Abigail, who witnessed me die, Abe, and now you."

"How do you know Abe?" Jo asked. "He wouldn't tell me how long you two had known each other."

A fond look crossed Henry's face, and he turned to look at Jo for the first time since he started his story. "Abigail and I raised him. She found him in a concentration camp at the end of the Second World War, and I checked his health. We fell in love, and decided to raise him as our own."

Jo felt her mouth drop open slightly. "Abe is your adopted son?" She asked, flabbergasted. "People at work were taking bets on whether he was your father or not!"

Henry chuckled. "Yes, he's my son. I cannot tell you what it was like to have a family. I never thought I would, but Abigail made that possible for me. We were so happy." His voice got quieter and quieter, and he looked back down at his hands. "We were so happy."

Jo shifted awkwardly on the couch. "Henry, I hate to ask, but," she cleared her throat slightly. "What happened to Abigail? If she was Abe's mother, than who was that woman that we found? Sylvia. The one you acted so weird about."

"Sylvia was Abigail." Henry's voice shook a little as he spoke.

"Oh, Henry." Jo reached out and held one of his hands. "I'm so sorry."

"She was living under an alias." Henry continued talking. "I never knew."

"What? Why?" Jo asked, confusion furrowing her forehead.

"That's a story for another time." Henry raised his head to look at her. His voice was no longer shaking. His hand tightened around Jo's, the other coming up to push a piece of hair back off her face.

He sat in silence for a moment, his eyes roaming Jo's face as she stared back at him, her eyes wide. "Henry, what are you doing?" She whispered.

"Shh." Henry replied. "Something my better judgement is telling me not to do, but I'm going to do it anyway."

* * *

 **Yeah so that happened... :) who's excited for the next chapter? What's Henry going to do? (although if you can't guess I don't know what to do with you).**

 **Also the next update might be up soonish because now that i'm injured I'm no longer working everyday or going to training/games for the tennis season which has just started... tonight I get to go and watch one of my teams play, so that's going to be fun :(**

 **Hope everyone is enjoying being able to walk/drive because yeah I can't**

 **(p.s I'm totally not mad about this injury at all)**


	10. Chapter 10

**HEY GUYS! School is back now :( so that means I just spent all day trying not to cry and wanting to walk out. Anyway, I hope you like this chapter!**

* * *

 _He sat in silence for a moment, his eyes roaming Jo's face as she stared back at him, her eyes wide. "Henry, what are you doing?" She whispered._

 _"Shh." Henry replied. "Something my better judgement is telling me not to do, but I'm going to do it anyway."_

* * *

Jo froze, her eyes locked on Henry's. Was this really happening? She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. She was very nervous, after all, she had only been dreaming about this for months.

Time seemed to slow as they sat there, Henry's hand still resting on the side of Jo's face were it had fallen after he pushed a lock of hair back so he could see more of her face. Neither of them blinked, like cats caught in the headlights they were caught in their emotions, and neither of them could deny it. Henry's eyes were dark and crystal clear at the same time, filled with knowledge and memories and _love._ Jo thought she could get lost in them if she looked for long enough.

She shifted slightly on the couch, bringing herself closer to Henry. She lifted her face to him, her expression open, and expecting, and above everything, happy. Her movement seemed to jolt something inside of Henry and he blinked suddenly as though waking from a deep sleep. His eyes seemed to Jo to turn even more crystal like in the dim light as they widened, making him seem startlingly vulnerable and panicked, before something in them clouded and his professional demeanour returned.

Henry shifted back slightly on the couch, removing his hand from where it rested on Jo's cheek, sending a clear message to her. Startled, she sat back, her hand falling from where it was entwined with Henry's.

"Henry, are you okay?" She asked worriedly, scanning his face as though all the answers she sought were hidden in the faint wrinkles at the corners of his eyes. She realised, with a slight shock, how much older Henry looked. He wasn't older of course, for him that was impossible, but there were dark circles under his eyes and what wrinkles he did have were more pronounced in his strained looking face.

"I'm fine." He replied, refusing to meet Jo's eyes.

"What-" Jo paused to find her words, trying to rearrange the mess of the thoughts in her head into coherent sentence. "What just happened? What was that?"

"It's late, Jo. I think it's best if we call it a night before one of us does or says something we'll regret." He stood from the couch, offering her a hand. "It's been a long day, detective. I am quite tired."

Jo ignored his offer of an outstretched hand, rising on her own. "Of course. I'm so sorry for staying so long." She forced a wane smile onto her face. "I should go."

Jo all but ran down the stairs, Henry's words swirling in her head. Abe lifted his head from where he was working on the shop accounts to give her a strange look, but Jo didn't stop as she rushed through the maze of antiques, pausing only briefly to grab her coat from the stand for the second time that evening, her only thought of getting outside before the tears started.

And start they did, welling up in her eyes before spilling over and dripping down her face as she scrabbled through her coat pockets for her keys, the metal cold and hard in her hand. As soon as she was safely cocooned in her car she allowed herself to cry properly, large sobs ripping their way out of her throat as she lent on the steering wheel. Whatever had happened between her and Henry just moments before was obviously a mistake. He obviously didn't feel the same way about her as she did.

Henry's words played on a loop in her mind, repeating over and over, _"I think it's best if we call it a night before one of us does or says something we'll regret",_ and Jo found herself sobbing even harder as she told herself that Henry regretted what had happened.

Gradually her tears slowed, and her breathing began to even out. "Just friends." She whispered to herself as she started the car. "Just friends."

* * *

"What on earth happened up here? I leave you two alone for 20 minutes and this happens, whatever _this_ is."

Henry lifted his head from where it rested on his hands, elbows digging into his thighs, to see Abe standing in the door way. "I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about." He said, vaguely aware that he sounded like a petulant child.

"Nonsense, Henry. I am sick of seeing you push people away like this. Jo looked like she was trying not to cry when she rushed past me. What happened between you two?" Abe crossed the room to sit next to Henry on the couch that until just moments before had held Jo and Henry.

Henry let out a frustrated groan. "I let my guard down, and by the time I recovered my senses it was almost too late." He dropped his head back into his hands, the true image of despair. "I panicked, Abe. I panicked, and said some things that may have hurt Jo."

"May have?" Abe said, disbelievingly. "Henry, you made the poor woman cry! Whatever you said, it got to her." Henry let out another groan, and now Abe realised that he, too, was crying. "What did you say, Henry?" He asked, gently.

"I said that she should go before either of us said or did something that we might regret." Henry's voice wobbled a little as he spoke. "But it was my actions before I said that that were worse." He lifted a tear stained face to his son. "My actions may have," he looked down, "may have led her to believe that I was going to kiss her. Then I realised what I was doing and stopped before I was too far gone. Believe me Abe, I'm not proud of what I did, and I hate that my words affected her, but I did what I had to do."

"What you had to do?" Abe was flabbergasted. "Henry, do you love Jo?"

"More than I've liked anyone in a long time." Henry sounded hopeless.

"Then you should have told her how you felt. It's not a bad thing to let your emotions be in control of you, Henry." Abe smiled sadly at his father. "You need to learn to let people in again."

"But it will only end badly." Henry muttered under his breath. "It always does."

"You normally refrain from becoming close to others because of your secret." Abe explained. "Jo knows your secret now, and she didn't run for the hills when she found out. This can't be easy for her, but she's trying. She came to the shop to see how you were, don't think I've forgotten about that." Abe paused for a moment. "She genuinely cares for you, Henry. I think it's time you let someone else in."

"Abigail-" Henry began, but Abe cut him off before he could say anymore.

"Mom is dead, Henry. I miss her too, but you can't keep mourning her forever. She wouldn't want you to." Abe placed a hand on Henry's back. "It's time to move on. It's time to stop pushing Jo away."

Henry looked utterly wretched as he thought about what Abe had said. "I'm afraid I've already pushed her away. What have I done, Abe? What do I do now?"

Abe patted Henry on the back a few times before standing up slowly, wincing as his bones creaked. "You apologize, and then you explain, and then you apologize again. The hardest part is admitting that you made a mistake." He gathered up the empty mugs and headed towards the kitchen, twisting to say over his shoulder, "If I was you I'd do it sooner rather than later. Show her how much you care about her." He disappeared through the doorway, the mugs in his hand clinking.

Henry looked at the empty doorway for a moment before getting to his feet and pulling a handkerchief out of his pocket, which he used to wipe his tears away. He had someone to apologize to.

* * *

Henry stood at the bottom of the stairs leading up to Jo's front door, watching as Abe drove away, the red lights of the car disappearing into the distance.

He took a deep breath and let it out slowly as he turned to gaze up at the red door, his breath leaving his mouth in a small white cloud. Before he could chicken out he climbed the stairs, his hands shoved deep into his pockets, hiding from the cold night air like a child playing hide-and-seek. As he reached the top of the stairs he pulled one of his hands out and raised it to the door.

He paused for a moment, taking another deep breath and trying to remember what he was going to say, before knocking several times on the wooden door.

Several seconds passed before he heard soft footsteps from deep within the heart of the house, growing louder as the owner neared the front door. Growing louder as Jo neared the front door.

The door creaked slightly as it swung open to reveal Jo standing there in cotton track pants and a woolen jumper, her face still red and tearstained. As she registered that the man standing on her doorstep was Henry, her mouth opened and closed in shock. She hadn't expected him to follow her home.

"Henry?" His name left her mouth a little uncertainly as she stared at him, and she tried to pull herself together. She stood up a little taller and pushed her shoulders back. "Henry, what are you doing here?" Her voice was stronger now, and left no room for weakness or emotion.

The speech Henry had planned on his way over disappeared.

* * *

 **So I just wrote this in my school library while waiting for my mum to finish work so she can pick me up because I can't even walk home thanks a lot to whoever decided it was a good idea to take me (the most accident prone person you'll ever meet) skiing...**

 **Please review, it honestly makes my day! Let me know how you liked this chapter (honestly it will only take you like 30 seconds) :)**

 **I should go study now for a bit because ew exams, and I have to pass with all A or A+. If I'm not dead by then, the next update should be sometime in the next few days :)**


	11. Chapter 11

**HEY LOOK! ANOTHER DAY ANOTHER CHAPTER! This is what happens when I'm stuck in the school library for multiple days... who needs to study? (*raises hand in the background because yes that's me I NEED TO STUDY SO I DON'T GET IN TROUBLE AVEC LES PARENTS*)**

 **Enjoy :) :)**

* * *

 _"Henry?" His name left her mouth a little uncertainly as she stared at him, and she tried to pull herself together. She stood up a little taller and pushed her shoulders back. "Henry, what are you doing here?" Her voice was stronger now, and left no room for weakness or emotion._

 _The speech Henry had planned on his way over disappeared._

* * *

Henry was aware of Jo watching him expectantly, but he couldn't bring himself to speak. Words were swirling within his head, a snowstorm of emotion and " _I'm sorry"_. Henry was lost in the snowstorm.

"That's what I thought." Jo moved to close the door, giving Henry a sad look. It was a look that said _I'm sorry_ and _go home_ at the same time.

"Jo, wait!" Henry suddenly found his voice. "Please." He said, his voice cracking a little. Jo held the door, looking exhausted.

"What, Henry? It's late, and neither of us want to do or say something that we might regret." She raised her eyebrows at him. "Say what you want to say, and then go home."

Henry swallowed nervously. He had only one chance. He had one chance to make his case, after which he would either have shown Jo how sincere he was, or lost her forever.

"Jo, I," He looked at her, frantically trying to remember the rest of what he had planned on saying. He searched the dark corners of his mind, but the words were long gone, his speech fleeing into the darkness never to be seen again. His face must have portrayed his inner turmoil, because Jo opened the door wider, her face puzzled.

"Henry?" She questioned, a look of concern beginning to grow on her face. "Henry, are you okay?"

It was this question, this display of how much Jo cared for him even after he had torn her heart out and stomped all over it, that jolted Henry to life. His brain began functioning normally, forming ideas and then logical sentences. Words began to spill out of him.

"Jo, I am so sorry. I know what I did was wrong, and all I want is to take what I said back. I treated you like I treat everyone who doesn't know my secret, and pushed you away. Normally when I feel myself growing too close to someone I close myself off and turn my back on them. And that's what I did this time too. I know it's not an excuse, I just…" He trailed off, suddenly aware of the fact that he was rambling, words leaving his mouth before he even realised what he was saying.

He met her eyes and saw a faint glimmer of understanding there. He saw hope that maybe all was not lost. "I think you better come inside." She said slowly, opening the door wider to allow Henry inside, her eyes not leaving him as he stepped into the hallway. "This way." She led their way through the house to the sitting room, Henry following behind. Jo directed Henry towards the couch, while she took the chair opposite. "Tell me again, why are you here, Henry?" She asked, her voice vulnerable but strong at the same time. It was full of hope but also resignation.

"I'm here to apologize, and to try and explain, although I know I can't expect you to forgive me." Henry's eyes roamed the room as he spoke, before finally landing on Jo. "I need to explain my actions to you."

Jo's anger returned a little then, replacing the concern for Henry she had held just a few seconds before. "You're damn right you need to explain your actions to me! One minute you were telling me about your life, or your 'long story', or whatever you call it, and the next I thought that you were going to k-" She broke off, flushing slightly. "Then you basically told me to leave before you did something you'd regret! How did you think that was going to make me feel?" Her eyes glimmered in the light, unshed tears and anger welling up.

Henry lent forward on the couch he was sitting on, bringing himself closer to Jo who was sitting in a plush armchair across from him. "I didn't want to make you feel that way, Jo." He said, his eyes focused on hers. Deep inside he was nervous about how this conversation was going to go, but on the outside he appears somewhat calm and collected. "I hate that that is what happened between us. I just panicked when I realised the situation. I've spent hundreds of years not allowing myself to get close to anyone out of fear of what might happen. I've pushed many people away, choosing to isolate myself in my work instead. But that all changed when I met you. You forced your way past my defences and became a part of my life.

"I've spent days worrying about how this would end. Eventually I have to leave everywhere I settle, before people notice that something isn't quite right. I normally just up and leave, and people barely notice, but I knew that this time would be harder. Harder, because I have allowed myself to become attached to this life. I don't want to leave what I have here. You have helped me to realise that there is more to life than just shutting myself in a room trying to work out how to end it." Henry took a deep breath, preparing himself to finish what he was saying.

"Jo, the thing is, you have made me feel something that I thought I would never feel again. I'm too far in to leave now, or to try and pretend I don't feel it. And I know, or at least I think, that you feel the same way. All I'm asking is that you forgive me, and give me another chance. Give us another chance."

Jo was stunned. Of all the things she had thought Henry would say when she saw him standing on her doorstep, this was not one of them. Henry did not normally let his walls down for anyone. "Henry, what exactly are you saying?" Her voice came out also as a whisper, and her breathing hitched a little when Henry reached out and took her hands in his.

He lent forward, their knees almost touching, with their joined hands resting between them. "I'm saying that what I feel for you, Jo, is more than friendship. You are one of the most amazing, courageous, beautiful women I have ever met. I know that what I did was despicable, but I'm hoping that you can forgive me, and look past it. We all make mistakes."

Jo cracked a small smile, although her eyes still showed uncertainty and hurt, her hands squeezing Henry's gently. "When Sean," Jo's voice wavered slightly, before she continued. "When Sean died, I didn't think I would ever be able to love someone ever again, but you've changed my mind, and taught me how to feel again. And for that I will always be grateful."

Henry opened his mouth to respond, but at that moment a knock sounded from the front door, resonating through the house. "It's probably Abe." Henry rolled his eyes. "I told him I would walk home, but he doesn't like it."

"I'll get it." Jo stood up, pulling her hand from Henry's. "I'll be right back." She walked down the hallway towards the front door, Henry's voice echoing behind her. "So does this mean I'm forgiven?"

Jo reached out to open the door; half twisting as she did so to call back to Henry "Possibly! But you need to work on your apologies."

She was still chuckling as she turned back around to see what she was doing, the door swinging open for the second time in a short space of time.

As she twisted around there was a loud bang, and the air left Jo's lungs.

She heard a dry chuckle, like the crunch of leaves in autumn. She felt the world around her shatter into a million tiny pieces, falling about her like the soft rain in spring. She smelled smoke, like the first fire in winter. She tasted blood, the sweet wine of the summer.

All she saw was an old fashioned peaked cap before everything faded to black.

* * *

 **Um yeah so I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I know I enjoyed writing it instead of studying :): Don't mind me I'm going to go die in a hole now :)) (*insert gun emoji here*)**

 **Please review if you like it or if you hate me for the ending :) I thought about making this the end and then making you guys wait another 3 months until I wrote a sequel but nah I'm not mean enough to take my emotions out on you :)) so you're welcome**

 **Stay groovy**


	12. Chapter 12

**Hi everybody! Sorry I made you wait so long for this update! Life got in the way... Enjoy!**

* * *

 _As she twisted around there was a loud bang, and the air left Jo's lungs._

 _She heard a dry chuckle, like the crunch of leaves in autumn. She felt the world around her shatter into a million tiny pieces, falling about her like the soft rain in spring. She smelt smoke, like the first fire in winter. She tasted blood, the sweet wine of the summer._

 _All she saw was an old fashioned peaked cap before everything faded to black._

* * *

A loud bang echoed down the hallway to where Henry sat on the couch. He jumped up, rushing from the room and down the corridor. What he saw next took his breath away, and he stopped dead in the door way, the cold wind from outside blowing through his hair.

"Jo," Her name left his mouth as he collapsed next to Jo's lifeless body on the cold concrete steps. One of her hands was flung over her chest, half covering a growing circle of deep red, her life blood draining away.

"Henry…" His name was a croak leaving Jo's mouth, startling Henry who had thought she was already gone. "Henry, I'm scared."

"Shhh, Jo, it will be okay." Henry squeezed one of her hands gently, trying to look more in control than he really was. Inside he was cursing himself for not yielding to Abe's demands he buy a mobile. "Where's your phone? I need to call an ambulance."

"Pocket." Jo's voice was fading fast, her eyes drooping lower and lower. "Henry," She paused, taking a deep breath. It rattled in her chest. "Henry, I'm dying."

"No, don't say that." Henry busied himself with sliding the phone out of Jo's pocket without causing her more pain.

"It's the truth." Her eyes fluttered open as she said this and locked on Henry's. "It's too late. Don't call yet."

"Don't call?" Henry was appalled, clutching the phone like the lifeline he supposed it was. "Jo, there is always a chance…" He trailed off, knowing as well as she did that there was no chance. She had lost too much blood; a pool of it was growing around her, like red wings of an angel.

"Tell me a story." Jo's voice was a whisper by now, and Henry had to lean in closer to hear her.

"A story?" He sat back on his heels, confused, one of his hands still cradling hers.

"Please. Tell me one of the stories you would have told me about your long life." Jo's eyes began to glass over, her breathing becoming shallower and slower.

Henry felt tears beginning to well up in his eyes at the request. It drove home the fact that Jo was dying, and that the two of them would never have a life together. "Is a funny story okay?" He asked, his thumb rubbing small circles on the back of Jo's hand.

"Perfect." She replied, forcing her eyes open to look at Henry, who found himself launching into a story about how 7 year old Abe had decided he wanted to learn to fish, and had run away from home with a ball of string and a can of worms he had found in the garden, mud all over his clothes.

Jo's mouth turned up into a small smile as Henry reached the end of the story, her eyes slowly closing, and her breaths becoming shallower and further apart.

Henry reached out and brushed the hair back off Jo's face, thinking how relaxed she looked in death, as though the bullet had taken not just her life, but also the trauma of losing her husband and the stress of her job.

"I love you, Jo Martinez." He whispered, as he gently traced her face with his fingers, tears dripping off his face onto hers. "I will always love you." He sobbed as he picked up her phone, preparing to make the hardest phone call he'd ever had to.

He pressed the power button, watching the _slide to unlock_ message flash across the screen through tear filled eyes, the words blurry. His fingers trembled as he pressed the buttons, numbers blinking up onto the screen He steeled himself to press the green call button-

-and dropped the phone in shock as there was a small flash of light and Jo's body disappeared. Henry stared at the spot where, until moments before, had held Jo's lifeless body, and was now empty.

"Adam." He said in shock, before rising to his feet and entering another number into the phone as he pulled the front door to Jo's house shut before setting off down the steps and along the street. "Abe?" He asked when the phone was picked up at the other end. "We have a situation."

As he talked to Abe, who was already on his way out of the shop, keys in hand, Henry failed to notice the man clothed in shadows lurking nearby, a faint smirk on his face.

* * *

"Slow down." Abe said to his father as he drove towards the river. "Start again. You think she has the same curse as you? Then why didn't she tell you before?"

"No, I think it happened because of Adam." Henry explained, his words tumbling over each other in his haste. "I think this is one of Adam's sick games. 'Let's shoot someone with Henry's gun and see what happens'." Henry was fuming. "Who gave him the right to experiment with people's lives like that?"

"Come on, Henry. You can't possibly know it was your gun that did this. You don't even know if it was Adam." Abe replied as he turned into the parking sport by the river for the second time that night.

"Of course it was Adam. He's psycho." Henry muttered as he wrenched the car door open and jumped out before Abe could pull to a stop. He disappeared into the darkness before Abe could react, leaving the door hanging open.

Abe lent across the car to pull the door shut. "That's right, jump out of a moving car. Anyone would think you want to kill yourself." He rolled his eyes to himself as he pulled into a park.

Meanwhile, Henry was heading to the edge of the river. "Jo?" He called, his voice floating through the air. "Jo, are you here?"

"Henry?" A small voice drifted out from behind some bushes, and Henry turned to see Jo peeking out from behind it, eyes wide.

"Jo, are you okay?" Henry started towards her, but stopped when she edged further away from him.

"Henry…" She looked embarrassed. "Henry, I have nothing on."

Henry flushed a deep red, his cheeks on fire. "Of course." He averted his eyes, looking everywhere but at Jo. "Umm," he trailed off, looking around for inspiration.

"Would this help?" Abe suddenly appeared from behind him holding a towel. "Sorry it's not much, Jo." He said as Henry took it from him, "I only had a second to grab something."

"You could have mentioned the fact you had a towel before I got out of the car." Henry grumbled, passing it to Jo, her hand reaching around the tree.

"I would have, if you hadn't jumped out before I even parked the car." Abe shot back. "My whole life you've been giving me lectures on patience, but I think you're the one who needs to-"

The two stopped their bickering as Jo stepped around the tree, tightly clutching the towel to her chest. Her eyes were ringed with red, as though she had been crying, and she looked exhausted.

"What the hell happened?" She asked as she stumbled over a loose tree root. Henry immediately leaped forward to help her, and she lent on him gratefully.

"Adam happened." Henry said, gravelly, as they began to make their way towards the car.

"Adam?" Jo asked, ducking her head to watch her feet, her hair falling in a wet, bedraggled curtain around her face.

"That's a story for later," Henry opened the car door for her, all too aware of the cold, hard eyes watching his back, "but rest assured, when I find him, he will pay."

He turned to face the dark car park, a determined look on his face. His eyes scanned the bushes, the benches, anything that could conceal a person. His voice carried, loud and clear, across the deserted concrete. "Rest assured, when I find you, you will pay."

* * *

 **OOOOOOOHHHHH ANGRY HENRY :)**

 **I promise the next update will be up sooner, stuff just happened last week and I was too busy trying not to kill someone/myself :)**

 **Please review :) I'm a needy person who needs attention ;) Come on, it will take you less than a minute and it will make me smile for a while (which, believe me, is a hard thing to do). I'm not trying to force you to review, but PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW :)**

 **Have a good day/night everyone**


	13. Chapter 13

**Sorry it took so long. Enjoy**

* * *

 _"Adam?" Jo asked, ducking her head to watch her feet, her hair falling in a wet, bedraggled curtain around her face._

 _"That's a story for later," Henry opened the car door for her, all too aware of the cold, hard eyes watching his back, "but rest assured, when I find him, he will pay."_

 _He turned to face the dark carpark, a determined look on his face. His eyes scanned the bushes, the benches, anything that could conceal a person. His voice carried, loud and clear, across the deserted concrete. "Rest assured, when I find you, you will pay."_

* * *

"Jo?" Henry asked softly, "Are you okay?"

"I was just shot." Jo's voice was a monotone, and she didn't look at him. "I was just shot." She reiterated, her words shaking slightly. "I was shot, and I should have died, but I didn't."

"Technically you did die." Henry pointed out, "You just didn't stay dead."

"Henry." Abe's voice was a warning from the front seat.

"Sorry." Henry lapsed into silence, searching his brain for something to say that would help.

Jo was quiet for the rest of the drive back to the shop, staring silently out of the window at the street lights as they flashed past, yellow and bright.

Henry just wished he could read her thoughts.

* * *

"Just go gentle on her. That's all I'm saying." Abe raised his voice over the whistle of the kettle as it boiled, the sound of the shower down the hallway, and Henry clinking cups together as he placed them on the bench.

"Of course." Henry said as he dropped 3 teabags into the cups.

"I mean, you can kind of be blunt sometimes, and you have to remember that Jo might need some time to adjust to this." Abe continued talking as he bustled around the kitchen

"Of course." Henry repeated, watching Abe, a look of amusement flitting across his face like a butterfly flutters from flower to flower in summer.

"I'm not saying that you don't pay attention to other people's feelings or anything, I'm just saying that sometimes you don't… phrase your words the right way." Abe lifted the kettle from where it sat on the bench top and began pouring the hot water into the three cups, white steam billowing and rising around his face.

"Abe," Henry said slowly, exaggerating his son's name, "I know."

Abe blinked at Henry. "You know?"

"I know I'm not the most delicate of people." Henry ducked his head. "But I do care about Jo, and I don't want to hurt her any more than she is already hurting. I promise you, I will be careful with my words."

"You will?"

"I will." Henry confirmed, vaguely aware that the water running down the hall way had stopped, indicating Jo was out of the shower.

Sure enough, almost soon as Henry had taken a bottle of milk out of the fridge and added some, along with a teaspoon of sugar (not too much, just enough to make it a little sweet)into Jo's cup of tea, she appeared in the doorway.

She wore one of the many NYPD tracksuits Henry had collected over the years as a consequence of his 'skinny dipping'. She had rolled the legs and sleeves up so they weren't too long, but they still pooled around her feet and her hands. She stood awkwardly in the doorway, one hand reaching up to twist her wet hair absentmindedly.

"Tea?" Henry asked, suddenly lost for words, holding a cup out towards her.

"Yes please." Jo took the cup gratefully, before accepting a seat on one of the kitchen chairs Henry pulled out for her. She took a sip of the hot drink and shuddered slightly, her eyelids sinking closed in bliss. "I feel like I'm frozen from the inside."

"You grow accustomed to that." Henry replied absentmindedly as he rummaged through a cupboard, looking for biscuits to go with their tea. "In fact, the colder the water is, the better, I think. It means there will usually be less people around to witness you-"

"Henry!" Abe's voice cut through the room, startling Henry. "I thought we talked about this!"

Henry turned around to see Abe glaring at him from under bushy eyebrows, and Jo struggling to keep a grin off her face. "Sorry." He said, guiltily, sending them both a weak smile. "I'm used to just saying whatever comes into my mind."

"We're aware of that." Jo said, with a small laugh, just as Abe said "We know."

The two made eye contact across the table and the cups of tea and burst into laughter. Henry watched them in amusement, before pulling out a chair and joining them at the table. "If we're done laughing at me, then perhaps we can talk about some serious stuff now?"

Abe stood up, his half full cup dangling from his fingertips. "That is my cue to leave you two young ones, and I use 'young' figuratively, Henry, to it. It's past my bedtime." He ambled from the room, taking the mirth from only a moment ago with him.

"Let's go into the sitting room." Henry stood, and offered his hand to Jo to help her up. "It's warmer in there."

Together the two of them made their way silently into the other room, tea cups grasped tightly in their hands.

Henry settled himself on the old fashioned coach that stood in the room near the wall and placed his tea on the table in front of him, Jo following suit. The two sat in silence for a moment, the quiet eating up the room and suffocating them.

"How are you coping?" Henry finally broke the silence, turning a little to face Jo where she sat next to him.

"I don't know." She answered truthfully. "I'm just really confused about everything. I mean, it shouldn't be possible, but yet somehow it is. My brain is just screaming at me to be logical, but nothing about this is logical."

"It does take some time to grow accustomed to." Henry conceded, flashing back to when he was shot, the confusion, fear, and the uncertainty taking over his body. "You just have to accept it all."

"But what if I don't want to accept it?" Jo looked at Henry in despair. "I don't want this to be my life, Henry. I want to be like everyone else. I don't want to be like-" She cut herself off, her eyes dropping from Henry's as she bit her lip.

"Like me." Henry finished the sentence for her, his voice flat and emotionless, his feelings carefully hidden although Jo knew they were there. Henry felt emotion like everyone else. "You don't want to be like me." He repeated, his voice calm but his eyes dangerous.

"That's not- I mean, I, uh," Jo stumbled over her words like a toddler trying to walk; flitting from one thing to another, unsure of what to do. "I didn't mean it like that."

Henry forced a smile onto his face, although he was sure it came across more like a grimace. "I'm sure you didn't." His words were clipped, his tone hard.

"Henry," Jo felt tears welling up in her eyes, "Henry, I'm so sorry."

Henry made eye contact with Jo, firm and unwavering. "What you don't seem to realise, Jo, is I don't want to be like this either. I want to grow old. I don't want to see my son die, while I myself still look 35. I want to experience everything in life that everyone else takes for granted. I want to be able to stay in one place for the rest of my life without people realising that I never age. I want to have grey hair and wrinkles.

"But most of all, I want to die. I have tried everything to end my life, but none of it works. As a result, I am still here, and I am making the most of it. I speak more languages that you know exist. I have travelled to more countries than you have ever heard of. I have sailed the seven seas, and I have read as many books as I can get my hands on. I am doing everything I can to make my life worth it, because as far as I can see, it will never end. I am doing everything I can to make my life worth it, but it is still not enough. I still want to die, and I still would do anything to make that happen, but that is not an option.

"Everything that has happened is out of my hands, and is out of your hands too. You don't want to live like this, but just like me, you don't have a choice. So I'm suggesting that you accept it. Grieve over your old life if you want, but accept your new one, and live it how you want to live."

Henry took a deep breath, shaking slightly after his speech. Jo's eyes were wide, locked on his. Henry steeled himself. "You may not want to be like me," he said, "but neither do I. I may hate this life, and you may hate it too after you have lived as long as I have, but do not ever criticise me and my life without having walked a mile in my shoes. You have no idea what it is like."

Jo burst into tears.

* * *

 **I didn't mean for this to take so long to write, I'm sorry. Things just... happened. Exams are approaching, teachers are stressing the whole school out, and I just got dumped, yayyyy. Nothing like finding out that the one person you thought actually cared doesn't like you anymore :))))**

 **But that's no excuse**

 **On a positive note, my physio cleared me to play tennis again starting from this week! So at least my knee is better :)**

 **I promise that next time I will update faster! I only have 3 more days of school before I am finished for the year (not including exams), so when I'm not studying I should, theoretically, have more time to write.**

 **See ya next time my lovelies :)**


	14. Chapter 14

**oooops? Sorry guys**

* * *

 _"Everything that has happened is out of my hands, and is out of your hands too. You don't want to live like this, but just like me, you don't have a choice. So I'm suggesting that you accept it. Grieve over your old life if you want, but accept your new one, and live it how you want to live."_

 _Henry took a deep breath, shaking slightly after his speech. Jo's eyes were wide, locked on his. Henry steeled himself. "You may not want to be like me," he said, "but neither do I. I may hate this life, and you may hate it too after you have lived as long as I have, but do not ever criticise me and my life without having walked a mile in my shoes. You have no idea what it is like."_

 _Jo burst into tears._

* * *

At the sight of the tears snaking their way down Jo's cheeks, light shining off the wet tracks, Henry felt all of his anger leave his body. He sagged back on the couch, his eyes dropping from Jo's.

"Jo, I am so sorry." Henry's words hung between them quietly. "I don't know what came over me. I don't usually lose my temper like that."

"I'm sorry too." Jo said. "I'm sorry for…" She trailed off, searching for the right word. "I'm sorry for dissing your life." She pulled her sleeve down over her hand and used it to wipe away her tears.

"Dissing?" Henry had a confused look on his face. "I don't think I'm familiar with that word."

Through the last of her tears Jo laughed. It was a small, sad laugh, but it was a laugh nonetheless. "You really are old, Henry. It means to be rude or disrespectful, that sort of thing. I'm sorry that I as rude about your life." She dropped her eyes to where her hands were clasped, fiddling with her fingernails. "For all I know, it's my life too now." Her words were quiet, like the gentle breezes of spring.

Henry pulled Jo closer to himself, wrapping an arm around her and tucking her into his side. He opened his mouth to speak, but found his words disappeared as he registered how cold Jo still was. "You're freezing!" He exclaimed, twisting to face Jo, who sat up.

"I'm always cold." Jo said with a slight laugh, "I'm used to it."

Henry stood up and grabbed an old fashioned woollen blanket from where it was folded over the back of a chair, passing it to Jo. "I'll light a fire." He said, moving towards an open fire place.

"Oh no, don't bother," Jo said, wrapping the blanket around herself, "That's too much effort."

"Nonsense," Henry said, rummaging through a draw for the box of matches. "It's all ready to light, Abe must have set it earlier." A few seconds later the fire sparked to life, orange flames dancing upwards and casting warm shadows around the room. Henry settled back on the couch next to Jo, who leant back against him, her head on his shoulder.

"How did we get here, Henry?" She mumbled, her hair falling across her face. Henry gently pushed it back.

"That's a good question," He replied, "that many scientist have tried to answer-"

Jo cut him off. "No, I mean, how did _we_ get here. How did our paths cross? How did everything align so to make us be here, on this couch, right now?"

Henry was silent for a moment. "I have no idea," he finally said, "I wish I knew."

The two lapsed into silence, and soon Henry heard Jo's breathing deepen, indicating that she was asleep. He thought about what she had asked, and how they _had_ ended up where they were now. How did the universe line everything up so that specific things happen, and other things didn't happen? How many things ha to happen in exactly the right way at exactly the right time to lead them to this moment?

As time ticked by, Henry found himself growing hot, with the heat of the dying fire and Jo's body warmth combining. Gently he sat up a little, stretching his back while being careful not to disturb Jo. Henry inched off his jumper, leaving him in a crisp white shirt. He rolled the sleeves up before settling back into the couch with a soft sigh, only to notice that Jo's eyes were open and she was watching him with a curious, and slightly confused expression.

"Henry, your arms!" She exclaimed, sitting up.

Henry's brow furrowed, his eyes crinkling in puzzlement, "What about my arms?" He asked, holding them up. He examined them, only to find nothing out of the ordinary. His heart stopped as he realised that was exactly what Jo was talking about. "Oh," his voice was quiet.

"I don't get it?" It was phased as a question, and Jo's eyes showed that she wanted an answer.

Henry sighed. "That's just how it works," he explained. "When you appear in the water, your body is completely reset. Any injuries or anything simply disappear."

"I thought that I hadn't noticed this… side of you," Jo paused, choosing her words carefully, "I thought I hadn't noticed this side of you before because there wasn't anything to notice."

Henry looked at her blankly. "What are you saying?"

Jo took a deep breath. "I guess what I'm saying, is that now I'm wondering if this was, in fact, the first time that you've hurt yourself since I've known you, or if this is a regular thing, and I just haven't noticed because your body just resets itself every time you die."

Henry flinched a little at Jo's frankness, before struggling to find a way to reply. "It's not a regular thing," he finally managed to choke out, the rest of his words sticking in his throat, choking him.

Jo's eyes saddened. "So it wasn't the first time," she said, her words laced with guilt and pity. Henry hated hearing pity.

"I didn't say that." He guarded his words, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"You didn't have to," Jo replied softly, "I'm a detective, I can tell. You said it wasn't a regular thing, but you didn't say anything about it being the first time, and you looked awkward about the subject." She reached a hand over, placing it on Henry's knee. "I'm sorry," She said.

"You're sorry?" Henry asked, confusion in his voice.

"I'm sorry you felt like this was the only option," Jo said, not moving her hand from his leg. "I'm sorry I didn't realise. I'm sorry that I wasn't there for you."

"I'm sorry I wasn't strong enough to deal with it by myself." Henry's voice carried a message of finality, and it was clear that he didn't want to continue with this conversation.

Jo, however, had one last question. "Why? Why did you do this to yourself?"

Henry tensed, but let out a deep breath as he tried to find something to tell Jo that wouldn't make him sound insane. "Because it felt like it gave me power. It started from when I tried to prove to my first wide that I wasn't insane, and that I really was immortal. I held a blade to my wrist, and it gave me a sense of power because she stopped telling me I was crazy. It made her listen, and stop what she was doing.

"Then the next time I felt like my life was spiralling out of control, I remembered that sense of power, and it all went downhill from there. I was never worried about leaving scars or anything, because I knew they'd disappear as soon as I died."

"But _why?"_ Jo asked again. "You're a doctor, surely you know better than anyone the implications of this. People get addicted! I know you can't actually die, but you can still kill yourself, and now I can say from experience that that is something I never want to experience again."

Henry felt a seed of anger begin to grow inside of him, for more than the second time that evening, and he stopped watching his words. He spoke his mind. "I do know the implications of this, and that's part of the reason I still do it. Once you've lived like this for long enough, you stop hating your life as much. You look at the world and think, 'It's not your fault I'm like this', and then you start thinking about how it's just you who is like this, and no one else. That's when you're in trouble.

"You start directing all that hate you used to have for life at yourself, and it just builds up inside of you. I don't hate this life, Jo, I hate myself, and I hate that because of me I have to live this life. It all just builds up inside of you, and so even though you know that what you are doing is stupid, you can't stop. Yes it's addicting, but not the actual act of it. The act of hurting myself helps me cope with everyday life, but the part that's addicting is the aftermath.

"I sit there, hating myself, hating what I am doing but knowing I need it to function, and loving it at the same time. I love the adrenaline rush of sitting there, knowing I'll most likely come back to life without a scratch on my body, but hoping that maybe, just maybe, this time death with stick, and I won't have to come back to my miserable life.

"But you were wrong before, when you guessed that this wasn't the first time since I'd met you, because it was the first time. I promised Abigail that I would try not to do this anymore, and I stuck to my promise the best I could."

He stood up, signalling that he didn't want to talk anymore. "It's late, detective. You are welcome to sleep in my bed, and I'll sleep here on the couch, but I think we both need to rest."

* * *

 **i am ashamed of myself, and you all should feel entitled to flinging me off a cliff right now as punishment for my appalling lack of updates. life has been crrraaazzzzyyyyy! a quick summary of why i haven't been updating is basically: the person who dumped me basically dumped me for a second time after telling me that they made a mistake and still wanted a relationship with me (yayyy I love to get dumped), and i... i'm just sorry i left this story on hold for far too long. hope you all like this chapter :)**


	15. Chapter 15

**Hey hey hey hey hey**

* * *

 _"But you were wrong before, when you guessed that this wasn't the first time since I'd met you, because it was the first time. I promised Abigail that I would try not to do this anymore, and I stuck to my promise the best I could."_

 _He stood up, signalling that he didn't want to talk anymore. "It's late, detective. You are welcome to sleep in my bed, and I'll sleep here on the couch, but I think we both need to rest."_

* * *

Jo was stumbling, tripping over her own feet as she rushed headlong down the path. The path twisted endlessly into the dark, the night sky falling down and hiding her destination from view like a blanket dropped by a small child.

The only sound was the pounding of Jo's feet as she ran, interrupted occasionally by a cry of an owl, and more chillingly, the cry of a man. Of Henry.

"Jo!"

"Henry!" Jo's voice tore itself breathlessly from her throat as she stopped running, her head whipping from side to side as she searched for the source of Henry's voice. "Henry!"

"Jo!" His voice came again, and she spun around to the right.

"Henry?" She called, turning her head as she waited for his reply.

"Jo!" She followed his voice as though it was a new path, hands stretched in front of her as she left the path, walking blindly into the inky blackness.

"Henry!"

"Jo!'' Henry's voice was growing weaker and Jo sped up, desperate to find the man who meant so much to her.

"Henry!"

"Jo," his reply came again, her name fading into the night air, "Jo I'm over here."

Suddenly Jo could see him, as though she had been walking through a dark room and someone had turned the lights on.

Henry laid on the ground a few metres away, with one hand flung across his face. Dark red liquid was pooling on the dusty ground in large puddles. Something in the back of Jo's mind registered that this was too much blood, Far, far too much.

She threw herself down next to Henry with a sob. "Henry, please!" She cried, reaching out as though to touch him, but not actually being able to bring herself to do so.

"I'm sorry," Henry forced a small smile onto his face, but it dropped quickly as his eyes fluttered shut.

"You're going to be okay, right?" Jo asked, tears streaking down her face, "you'll come back in one piece, right?"

Henry's eye opened, although they looked slightly unfocused. "It feels different this time, Jo. I don't think I will come back."

Jo froze, his words sinking in. "No, no, no, no, no," she muttered, "please, no!"

Henry slowly reached one hand out to grasp Jo's, blood sticky between their fingers. "I'm scared," he admitted softly, his eyes drooping shut once again. "Will you sing to me?"

Tears dripped off Jo's face, one, two, three, four, each drop hitting the ground and mingling with the dust. "Of course," she choked out. "Of course."

* * *

Jo sat up with a gasp, damp sheets tangled around her legs. She sat, trembling on the couch, dark shadows cast by numerous antiques surrounding her.

The dream had felt so real, even now she felt as though it had really happened, that she would get up only to find out that it really had taken place, and that Henry was dead after all.

Slipping off the couch, Jo wrapped a blanket around her shoulders and padded out of the room, her feet making next to no noise on the wooden floorboards. She found herself in front of Henry's bedroom door, the rich wood intimidating and welcoming at the same time.

Taking a deep breath, she pushed the door open a little, flinching at the creak it made. In the semi darkness, she saw a shadow move.

"Jo?" Came the soft voice of Henry, uncertainty laced in his tone. "Is that you?"

"Yes," she slipped inside the room, pulling the door behind her. A light flickered in the corner, and now Jo saw Henry sitting up in his bed, his hand still on the light switch. His face was haggard, and if Jo had to hazard a guess, she would say he hadn't slept at all.

"Is everything okay?" He asked, careful eyes analyzing her as she stood before him.

"Yes, I just-" Jo's eyes roamed the room, landing everywhere but on Henry, "I had a dream where you died, and this time you stayed dead." She admitted, fiddling with the edge of the blanket that was wrapped around her shoulders in much the same way a child fiddles with a soft toy.

She heard Henry sight, before he pulled the covers back slightly. "Come here," he said, you look cold."

Gratefully, Jo crossed the room and slid into the bed, Henry pulling her closer until she rested her head on his shoulder. "I'm still here," he said, "you can't get rid of me that easily."

Jo cracked a smile. "The dream was just so real," she said. "And I woke up panicking that you really were dead, and I couldn't stand the thought. You mean so much to me, and I hate that we haven't been on the best terms recently."

"Me too," said Henry, absent minded, "me too." He leaned down and pressed a small kiss onto the top of Jo's head. "You mean a lot to me, too."

* * *

 **i know it is really short please dont hate me! it's short for a reason, and that is because this is the end, and i hate endings, therefore it is short because i didn't want to write it. i had planned for this story to be longer, but this is unfortunately the end (for now). basically i am leaving new zealand (where i live) to go to france in a few days for a year as an exchange student, and while i am over there i dont know if i will be able to write (so i dont want to commit to this story anymore). however, if while i am over there i decide to write again, i WILL continue this story, so i will not mark it as complete yet (i am v optimistic). hopefully i will see you all soon for another update (it will probs be more like 6 months because that is when i get my own room in france, and don't have to share with my host sister anymore). anywho, bye until then!**

side note: if you ever feel like henry does during this fic, for whatever reason, please do not hesitate to talk to me about it! please. i know what that can feel like, and i want you all to know that you can talk to me about it and i will try my best to help/be a person you can confide it :)

 **Au revoir mes amis !**


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